Casualty Assistance & Survivor Benefit Plan
Assistance Representative
Your Casualty Assistance Representative
We understand that you and your family may face tough decisions concerning your deceased loved one in addition to your concerns for the future of your family. To make sure you receive the highest level of support, you can be provided a casualty assistance representative (CAR). The CAR provides assistance to family members of deceased active duty personnel and retired military members. This is the person to whom you should address your questions as he or she will be your primary connection to the Department of Defense (DoD).
At different times in your loved one's military career he or she has been given the opportunity to make choices with regard to notification of next-of-kin, payment of death gratuity, unpaid pay and allowances, and disposition of remains in the event they become a casualty. The virtual record of emergency data (vRED) provides this information. The DoD is required to follow applicable laws and the instructions of your loved one with regard to these benefits and entitlements. Your CAR will assist you in seeing that these instructions are carried out. Assistance also includes applying for benefits related to the member's military career and general information about the Social Security office and the Veteran's Administration.
You may wonder how long the CAR will assist you. This will depend on your circumstances. However, they will continue be in contact with you until all benefits and entitlements for which you are eligible have been processed. Afterwards, they will remain available to help with your concerns. When family members are spread over several cities or states, there may be several CARs involved.
Meeting Your Casualty Assistance Representative
Shortly after you have been notified of your loved one's death you will receive a phone call from the CAR to arrange a visit. He or she will ask if you have any immediate problems, confirm your mailing address, and arrange to meet with you at the earliest time and place convenient to you. It is important that you meet with the CAR as soon as possible, usually within twenty-four hours of his or her call. The first visit will be brief, probably less than an hour. The main purpose of this first visit is to exchange information. In some cases, you may be asked to meet in private. It may feel like a tremendous amount of information to deal with, coming so quickly after learning of the death of your loved one, so you may want assistance from a counselor, a doctor, an interpreter, or even a member of your church. The CAR can help you connect with these support providers. Of course, you may have other family members present if you desire.
You will be asked to provide an address where you may be reached for the next forty-five days. If this is not the same as your current mailing address, you should provide both your current and future addresses. These addresses will be used to provide you with information from the CAR, the DoD and other concerned parties. Please, let your CAR know immediately if this information changes.
Verifying Family Information
CARs also need to verify the accuracy of the family information in DoD records. It is his or her job to confirm the status of all known family members, including the marital status of the deceased service member, any previous marriages, divorce decrees, and child custody orders. CARs will not request sensitive personal data such as Social Security numbers, birth dates, or banking information over the phone. They may ask for copies of important documents, too. Without these documents, benefits may be delayed or denied.
It is especially important to identify all the service member's children. Occasionally a service member has not identified all children on the vRED. Please, don't be offended if you are asked whether a loved one was married before and if there are any children from that or other relationships. Also, the CAR will want to know if the deceased service member was known by a name other than the given name, such as a nickname, middle name, or maiden name.
Because of federal law and individual service member elections, it is possible that the Primary Next-of-Kin (PNOK), the Person Eligible to Receive Personal Effects (PERE), and the Person Authorized to Direct Disposition of Human Remains (PADD) are the same person. It is equally possible that they could be three different people; therefore, each designation will be fully explained to you.
Your CAR will schedule a follow-up visit soon after the initial visit. There will be as many follow-up visits as necessary. Depending on your branch of service, you may also meet with a mortuary affairs officer. During these meetings you will discuss payment of the death gratuity, preparation for the funeral, any honors due to your loved one, and any questions you may have.
Responding to the Media
Newspapers, radio, and television often report on local service members who have given their lives in service for our country. It is your choice whether you wish to speak to the media directly, or maintain your privacy and have the military support you in your dealings with the media. If you would like assistance, your CAR can help by putting you in touch with a public affairs officer who is accustomed to dealing with the media. You will be able to discuss whatever information you would like to share and how you would like to share it.
As a matter of policy, the DoD, which includes the military services, will not release any casualty information to the media or the general public until twenty-four hours after the last next-of-kin has been notified. In multi-loss incidents, the twenty-four hour requirement will start after the last next-of-kin of all decedents has been notified.
Privacy Act and Authorization for Disclosure of Information
The DoD requires detailed information from you in order to fully assist you in the settlement of your loved one's personal affairs and financial accounts, as well as the initiation of any survivor benefits that may apply to you. You are not required to provide this information; however, without it, the CAR may not be able to assist you in settling your loved one's personal affairs or applying for certain benefits. This information may also be used by other government agencies, as well as other selected agencies, such as an insurance company or bank, to process or disburse benefits and entitlements. The DoD will store some or all of this information in the Defense Casualty Information Processing System (DCIPS), which is a controlled access information system that the Services use to manage each casualty case.
Because the DoD receives many requests from private individuals, organizations, federal and state elected members of government, and other reputable sources asking for family member contact information, you may also be asked whether you consent to have certain information provided to interested elected officials or to third-party benefactors who may wish to extend their condolences or provide support such as gifts, monetary assistance, or scholarships. This decision is entirely up to you; U.S. privacy laws bar the government from releasing your private information to third-parties without your written consent. Additionally, while there may be many offers to families of deceased service members, each organization has its own criteria and receipt of such gifts or offers is not automatic.
1. Retiring? The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) briefing is a mandatory vMPS appointment. The USAF Academy SBP Counselor will make your appointment in plenty of time for you to find out all you need to know to make an informed decision about continuing your SBP coverage into retirement.
2. Are you nearing your military retirement date? Keep in mind that retired pay is paid ONLY for the life of the member. Prior to retiring you must decide whether you want to cover your retired pay (or a portion of retired pay) under the SBP. We buy insurance to guard against the financial hardships from events we can't foresee (car wrecks, floods, fires, etc.) and to protect our valuable assets. Your retired pay is one of those valuable assets. Your retired pay will STOP when you die! Since you can't foresee when that will be, it is important to insure it. Think of SBP as a form of life insurance for part of your retired pay. Download this article to learn about what actions to take in regards to the SBP.
Survivor Benefit Plan Information
What is SBP and why was it created?
The Uniformed Services Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) was created by
Congress in 1972 to offer retirees a means of guaranteeing the
payment of a portion of their retired pay to their survivors.
This would help alleviate the problem of destitute survivors. SBP
is the sole means by which survivors can receive a portion of
military retired pay. Without it--retired pay stops on the date of
death of the retiree!
How Does SBP Work? In conjunction with their retirement, military
members may elect to receive reduced retired pay by paying premiums
into SBP. The election for SBP coverage must be made prior to
retirement. Elections to use less than full retired pay as a
"base amount" require spouse concurrence in order to be
valid. When the retiree dies, SBP begins paying 55% of the
"base amount" of retired pay to the surviving spouse (or
children). The SBP annuity for the spouse is a lifetime,
cost-of-living adjusted benefit.
I have heard recently about a "Paid Up" Provision for SBP? The
"Paid-up" SBP program became effective Oct. 1, 2008. All retirees
who are at least age 70 and have paid SBP premiums for at
least 360 months (30 years) are no longer required to make monthly
payments beginning the month they meet both requirements. No action
is required by the member to initiate the termination of premiums.
Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) will notify members
of their paid-up status and when premiums will be stopped. Retiree
Account Statements (RAS) have been modified to include a "premium
counter." The purpose of the counter is to track the number of
months of paid premiums credited to a retiree's account. DFAS is
working in conjunction with the Defense Manpower Data Center
(DMDC), who maintains historical pay data on all military retirees,
to ensure that everyone receives proper credit for all premiums
paid and that the premium counter is accurate.
Pre-Retirement SBP Responsibilities
Each retiring member is responsible to:
• Attend a one-on-one pre-retirement
briefing with the SBP Counselor (required by law)
• Become familiar with the options and effects of the SBP
• Learn about the basic differences between SBP and commercial or
civilian programs described as alternatives
• Include the spouse in all aspects of the decision process -- it's
his or her financial future that's at stake!
• Complete a DD Form 2656, Data for Payment of Retired Personnel,
at the Airman & Family Readiness Center, containing critical
pay data:
- Arrears of Pay (AOP) Beneficiary
Information
- Retirement correspondence address
- Check mailing address (EFT Address)
- SBP election
- Spouse concurrence (if required)
• Notify DFAS promptly of changes that occur after retirement
- Change in bank or correspondence
address
- Change in marital status or family members that may affect SBP or
pay
Notes:
The law requires DFAS to establish maximum SBP coverage if a valid DD Form 2656 is not received before the member's retirement date.
A member who does not comply with the above responsibilities may experience a delay in receipt of retired pay and/or unwanted premiums being deducted from retired pay.
Remember: Retired pay stops when a member dies. Paying into the SBP is the only way to ensure regular monthly payments based on the member's military service continue to eligible survivors following the member death.
The basic statutory provisions of the SBP law are in Chapter 73, Title 10, United States Code
Contact the USAF Academy SBP Counselor
To help military members and spouses make informed decisions on SBP participation, in-depth SBP counseling is provided by a Survivor Benefits Plan Counselor.
To ask questions regarding Survivor Benefit Plan, please contact the USAF Academy SBP Counselor at (719) 333-2129.